Cleaning devices, mops, wipes and covers have historically been made from cotton or synthetic fibers which are twisted and formed into strands and the strands formed into yarns. The yarns may be woven on looms to product sheet form goods. These woven fabric articles are made in more or less degrees of cost. An alternative to traditional fiber yarns has been the use of non-woven cellulose/wood pulp fabrics such as used in tea bags, food and industry machine filters, disposable uniforms, packaging, paper wipes, facial tissue, paper towels and the like. Waste products result from the manufacture of these items. Applicant's invention provides a novel approach to the use of these waste products. An outer strip of inexpensive or waste material is combined with an inner filling of a different type of waste material. The inner and outer materials are combined by a multiplicity of folds or by tacking, stitching, gluing or other connection means. These waste materials are based on various components mixed with preferably cellulose based non-woven materials which are selected for particular end uses on the basis of differing performance characteristics such as resistance to abrasion, absorbency, longevity and abrasive qualities. The extreme low cost of these materials, previously considered waste trimming and lower end by-products of higher end manufacturing processes, makes feasible a one time or very short time or limited time use for the ultimate purchaser while maintaining an adequate margin for the manufacturer.
Many attempts have been made to produce an inexpensive mop which have met varying degrees of success. Some methods have used the cheapest fibers or re-claimed fibers in the spinning process, others have used stacks of fabrics from which strips are cut to form flat ribbons or strings, and yet others have processed non-woven materials using special stretching and twisting techniques which reduce absorbency but add sufficient strength to make a usable mop or other cleaning article. Some are less or more absorbent than others, and some are sturdier in use than others. The instant invention presents a novel solution to the disposable cleaning article and mop problem by providing a strip or ribbon of material which is folded about an absorbent inner material. A mop made in accordance with the disclosed process is of such low expense that it can be disposed after a limited time which may vary from a single day to several weeks. The mop is absorbent yet sufficiently robust to provide effective scrubbing and cleaning ability. Throws, absorbent pads and wipes can also be made from the disclosed yarn substitute; a particular form of wipe is disclosed.